Digital cameras are utilized for taking pictures of scenes and the like. Some digital cameras include a display screen to display images after the picture has been taken. Digital cameras which include a display screen oftentimes have the ability to display group types of images at the same time. For example, a digital camera may display a group type of one image, a group type of four images, a group type of nine images at the same time. Each of the group types includes a plurality of pages where a page is the number of images on a display at one time (in this case 1, 4 or 9 images). In such a camera there is also the ability to navigate from one image or cell to another or from one page of images of the group type to another page of images of the group type. When we refer to one page of images, what is meant by that is one page of four to the next page of four, one page of nine to the next page of nine, and so on and so forth. There is oftentimes the ability in such digital cameras to move between group types via a mode button. What is meant by this, for example, is that it is possible through such a mode button to move between one single image to a group type of four images to a group type of nine images. Oftentimes in these types of digital cameras, the reviewing and navigating within a plurality of images via a particular group type (i.e. 1, 4 and 9) and also between the pages of images via the mode button are complex and unnatural. In addition, in some situations, a large number of keystrokes are necessary to view a selected image.
To more particularly describe some of the problems with previous displays in digital cameras, such as the display in a Casio QV10 camera, refer now to the following discussion in conjunction with FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a conventional digital camera display which includes a zoom button 3, a display button 5, a mode button 7, and a forward-reverse button 9. In such a camera the display button 5 allows one to switch between page and image mode to look at a particular image (Image A). The zoom button 3 allows one to proceed from a small image to a full size of a selected image, the mode button allows one to select different group types and the forward-reverse button 9 allows one to go from one image to an earlier image or a later image or earlier or later page.
FIG. 2 shows, the interaction between the different buttons to allow for the display of images in different formats. Initially, if in the group type one mode or one image per display, the forward and reverse button would allow one to go forward one image or back one image (block 11). If the mode button is pressed one time, then, for example, four images, A, B, C and D are each displayed (block 13). The forward and reverse buttons now provide for one page of four forward, one page of four back. If the mode button is pressed again, nine images are displayed (block 15) (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I). The forward and reverse buttons now provide for one page of nine forward, one page of nine back. To go back to the first mode, the zoom button would be pressed to go back to image A as shown in block 23 only if the display button is pressed first. Otherwise the mode button is pressed. If the display of a particular image is desired, the display button would be pressed. Initially, an indication of a selected image is provided via underlining shown in blocks 13 and 17 (in this case A). The forward-reverse buttons are used to proceed to the next image within the group type highlighted by the underline. If, for example, you wanted to display a selected image from the nine mode, then the zoom button would be pressed and the single image would be displayed.
However, as is seen, there is a complex interaction of zoom, display mode and forward-reverse to provide the appropriate images. This approach is not natural and requires many keystrokes in certain applications.
To more clearly illustrate this, referring now to FIG. 3A, what is shown is the selection of a fourteenth image from an image capture unit using the elements as described above. First, if the mode button would be pressed twice, as shown, to proceed to the mode where there are nine images being displayed at one time. Then the forward button is pressed to proceed to the next page. Then the display must be pressed. Then the forward button is then pressed four times to select the fourteenth image. Finally, the zoom button is pressed so that the desired image is now displayed. As is seen, this process requires nine keystrokes.
FIG. 3B shows the selection of the twenty-sixth image of the display proceeding from the fourteenth image. To select the twenty-sixth image, first the mode button must be pressed to return to the four mode. As is seen, image (N) 14 is now in a first position in top row rather than its original middle position of the second row. The mode button is then pressed again. Next, the plus button is pressed to proceed to the page that has the twenty-sixth (Z) image. The display button is pressed to underline the first image of the page (image twenty-three). The plus button is then pressed three additional times to select the twenty-sixth image. Thereafter, the zoom button is pressed to display the image. As is seen, eight additional keystrokes are required to proceed to display the twenty-sixth image. This can become time consuming and tedious for a user of the image capture device. In addition the process for obtaining a particular image is not a natural one and requires learning a particular protocol.
Accordingly, the conventional systems not only require more keystrokes, they are also less natural because different buttons have different functions dependent upon where a user is within the process.
There is a need, therefore to be able to provide images on a display device which will allow for the user to review various images that have been taken, while at the same time provide a display and readout of a particular image in an expeditious and straightforward manner. For example, after taking several pictures it would be useful to identify a particular picture quickly, with the minimum of effort and at the same time be able to refer to another picture in the same manner. It is also important to provide for more efficient ways to quickly navigate through a series of images. The system should be implementable in a simple and cost effective fashion and should be easily handled by a user.
The present invention addresses such a need.